Replicating an Amazing Soup Recipe

Okay, at the risk of becoming a travel bore, this blog is dedicated to one of the foods I ate in the greater Seattle area on the last day of my trip out there. My son's new lady is half Hawai'ian by birth and she took us to a Hawai'ian restaurant on that last evening for dinner. The restaurant was located in Everett, WA.
 
Looking through the menu, I was interested in quite a few things, but finally settled on something that was called "Island Style 'Pho' - Huli Huli Chicken, Basil Leaves, Fresh Cilantro & Lemongrass Coconut Broth." As I read this description and pronounced "Pho" as it looks, with a long "O" sound, I was corrected. It is pronounced "Fa." However it is pronounced, it was amazingly good. And I wanted to have it again. Having never been terribly interested in Thai, or Vietnamese foods, I was unfamiliar with "Pho," and when I came home and looked up Pho, it turns out that everywhere I looked, it was a clear broth soup, with bits of meat, and or noodles and some herbs. Nothing at all like the creamy soup I was served, shown here below.

Island Style Pho at Kama'aina Grindz

These photos above are of the soup as it was served, and then after stirring it around and eating some of it. There were a lot of noodles in it, and they looked very like spaghetti. I have no idea if the noodles were made with wheat or rice, though the texture could easily have been wheat. The broth was slightly creamy in viscosity. Not thick, but certainly thicker than broth alone. The chicken was absolutely delicious. I have never eaten anything Hawai'ian before, so all of this was new, to me. And when I prefaced my online search with "coconut milk" I came up with things like Tom Kha Gai, or Thai Coconut Chicken Soup.

Replicating the Soup

Coconut Chicken Soup with Huli Huli Chicken

The first step I took was looking at what was stated on the menu (I took a photo of the menu, so I could remember). Obviously, the soup part consisted of chicken broth, coconut milk, lemongrass. I assumed that onion, garlic and ginger might also be a part of this. There was an elusive flavor that stuck in my memory, but I could not put a finger on it.

The next step I took was looking up recipes for Pho. Needless to say, all the recipes I found, whether I prefaced the search with "Hawai'ian" or not, was a Thai style clear broth soup, sometimes with noodles and/or meat and some kind of herbs. But always a clear soup. Still, reading through the recipes, I found that many, if not all of these recipes called for fish sauce. I happen to have some fish sauce, since some while back I tried to recreate Pad Thai, which also called for fish sauce. 

In trying to think of how to make the broth into the consistency of the one I ate at Kama'aina Grindz, I felt that maybe I would cook the chicken broth with the onion, garlic, ginger and lemongrass (cheating with "Gourmet Gardens Lemongrass in a tube, since no lemongrass is available up in these parts). After the onion and other bits were cooked through and very soft, I chose to put the whole batch into the blender and puree smooth. While one onion didn't make the soup thick, at least it had a little bit more "body." Then I would add in the remaining ingredients to make the flavors right.

But First, Huli Huli Chicken

I had no idea what Huli Huli Chicken was, either. In this matter, I relied on recipes I found online to select what I would use and how much. Most of the recipes are extremely similar, with only the amounts having slight variances. This is what I did, and oh my, is this chicken ever fantastic. Whether it gets sliced into a soup or eaten as a main meal, it is exceptionally flavored. Give the chicken 1 to 2 days of marinating time, turning every so often for even flavoring.

Huli Huli Chicken

Huli Huli Chicken

Makes 1 whole chicken

1 whole chicken 
6 ounces unsweetened pineapple juice
½ cup soy sauce
½ cup brown sugar
2 to 4 tablespoons Mirin, or rice vinegar
⅓ cup ketchup
3 tablespoons fresh ginger, finely minced
4 cloves fresh garlic, finely minced

Cut up the chicken into leg/thigh pieces, and cut each breast into two pieces, along with the two wings. Leave the back and any other bits to make the chicken broth needed for the soup. Place the chicken pieces into a large zip-top bag. Combine the remaining ingredients together, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Measure out and refrigerate about ½ to ¾ cup of the marinade for basting, later. Pour the remainder of the marinade over the chicken pieces, seal the bag and move the chicken around to evenly coat. Set the bag into a container and refrigerate for 1 to 2 days, turning every 6 or so hours to redistribute the chicken in the marinade.

When ready to cook the chicken, either light a grill or oven. I chose to grill the meat. I started it, skin side down, with the legs over the hotter part of the grill and the breast and wing pieces in less hot areas. Cook this way for about 15 minutes, rearrange the pieces, cook for another 15 minutes, lowering heat if needed to prevent burning. Turn the chicken over and grill for another 15 minutes. Baste with some of the reserved marinade over the last 15 minutes of grilling time. At this point, check for internal temperature, which should be 165 degrees. If not, continue to grill for up to another 15 minutes, until internal temperature is reached. 

If baking in the oven, it is preferable to use a broiler pan, so the chicken does not cook in its juices. Preheat broiler and set a rack so that the chicken, skin side up on the broiler rack, is about 6 inches from the heat source. Broil the chicken for 30 to 45 minutes, with the oven door ajar, checking for internal temperature of 165 degrees after 30 minutes. If more time is needed, watch closely over the next 15 minutes. Baste with some of the reserved marinade, over the last few minutes of cooking time.

Coconut Chicken Broth

On to the Soup

When cutting the chicken into pieces, reserve aside the back and any other bits and parts (neck, gizzards, etc). Place these into a pot and cover with about 5 cups of water. Add in a whole onion, skin on, a carrot, scrubbed, not peeled, and 1 to 2 celery stalks. Bring to boil, lower heat, cover and let simmer as low as possible for 4 to 6 hours. Do not add any salt to the stock at this time. As the stock cooks, if it reduces, it would become too salty. As soy sauce will be used in the soup, salt may not be needed at all. 

Once all the goodness has been extracted from the bones, strain the stock, discarding all solids. Refrigerate the stock until needed, or, freeze, if it will not be used within three days.

Coconut Chicken Soup with Huli Huli Chicken

Makes about 4 servings

Coconut Chicken Soup with Huli Huli Chicken

4 cups unsalted chicken broth
1 large onion, chopped
2 tablespoons lemongrass paste (Gourmet Gardens)
3 to 4 fresh cloves garlic, minced
1 to 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger root
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
1½ tablespoons lime juice
1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk, or preferable, coconut cream (unsweetened)

FOR SERVING:
6 to 8 ounces brown rice spaghetti pasta
Huli Huli chicken, skin and bones discarded, sliced
3 to 4 sprigs fresh cilantro, per bowl
4 to 6 fresh basil leaves, per bowl

In a pot, cook together the first 7 ingredients until the onion is very tender, about an hour. Puree the soup, so all the onion and other bits are completely smooth. Add in the lime juice and coconut milk or cream and heat through.

In a separate pot, cook the rice pasta according to package directions, drain and portion into bowls. Set a portion of the sliced Huli Huli Chicken into each of the bowls. Ladle the Coconut Chicken Broth over top. Garnish with fresh cilantro and basil leaves and serve.


My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

My Pad Thai

I had never really eaten anything from a Thai restaurant that tasted good to me. At best, noodles with steamed vegetables are just plain simple. Not what I would expect from Thai. At worst, no flavor at all made the foods I tasted just unpalatable. Add to that, if there was MSG in the dish, or just too much salt, I would swell up significantly, which is quite uncomfortable. With those experiences to draw from, when my sisters decided to get together at a Thai restaurant, I was very reluctant, to put it very mildly. 

Okay, so I was outvoted on the Thai restaurant for lunch, and I looked through the menu, resigning myself to at least eating some healthy vegetables. This was over the Christmas/New Year holidays, so very little of any vegetable had passed my lips for many days. I was craving vegetables. One of my sisters, who eats at that particular Thai restaurant often, said that all the noodle dishes were excellent. so I opted for Pad Thai, since it listed numerous vegetables in the ingredients. 

My Pad Thai

And when my dish arrived, I was shocked, amazed, gratified, and finally - joyous! This dish was amazing. The flavors were just out of this world, and as I could not quite identify the flavors, they were all the more intriguing. The portion was very large, so I took half of the meal home, thinking I would eat it next day and see if my assessment stayed the same.

It did!

So, once our holiday travels were over and I was once more situated at home, I wanted to give this a try. I had no idea as to the flavor ingredients. The vegetables were pretty self explanatory. In the dish from the restaurant, there was broccoli, carrot, eggplant, cucumber, Napa cabbage, bok choy, bean sprouts and scallions. The peanuts I could live without - I just do not care for peanuts. But the part I really wanted to know about was the flavorings. What goes into Pad Thai?

My Pad Thai

I read myriad recipes online. The ingredients for a Pad Thai sauce were pretty universal. The amounts for those ingredients varied widely. I read commentary on the recipes I researched and took them to heart. I put together a recipe I felt should work. I made Pad Thai for the first time. It was good. It was not great. 

My recipe seemed to lack a certain fullness of flavor. It was dry. The noodles cooked through properly, but there was not enough flavor, and I felt that more sauce might be needed. Salt was lacking also, and for that, extra sauce would likely do the trick. My husband and I liked this first attempt. He had nothing to compare it with, but I did, so I resolved to have another go.

This time I did double the sauce mixture. This time, there was enough salt to make it more enjoyable than the far blander version I'd made previously. While it looked basically the same, the flavors were far more in evidence. It still didn't quite compare to the restaurant version, and maybe never will, but for now, this second rendition of Pad Thai turned out to be just the ticket!

Pad Thai

Serves 6

Pad Thai

8 ounces flat rice noodles or Pad Thai noodles

SAUCE:
3 tablespoons sugar, or palm sugar
3 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1½ tablespoons tamarind concentrate
hot pepper flakes, to taste, optional  
-----
2 - 3 tablespoons oil or coconut oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, minced/grated
½ pound chicken or pork, sliced very thin
1 small red bell pepper, sliced in strips
3 cups Napa cabbage, sliced across in 1-inch slices
3 eggs, whisked
1½ cup broccoli florets
1 - 2 carrots, sliced across on bias

TO SERVE / GARNISHES
4 scallions, white and green, sliced
2 cups fresh bean sprouts
⅓ cup chopped peanuts
2 - 4 tablespoons cilantro leaves

PREP WORK: First, submerge the rice noodles into a bowl of cold water. Allow them to soak for about 1 hour. Set aside.

Make the sauce by whisking the 4 (or 5 if using the hot pepper flakes) ingredients together and set aside. 

Use chicken or pork of your choosing. I used chicken breasts one time and pork loin a second time. Slice the meat very thinly (partially frozen meat helps with thin-slicing). Set meat aside. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs and set aside. Very lightly steam the broccoli and carrot and set aside.

Have the garnish ingredients prepped in separate bowls and set aside.

MAKE THE DISH: In a wok, or a very large skillet, heat the oil. Add in the garlic and ginger, sauteing until very fragrant. Add the chicken or pork slices and toss quickly to saute until lightly browned and cooked through, about 7 - 8 minutes. Add in the red bell pepper strips and Napa cabbage and toss quickly for about 3 minutes. If there is room in the pan to push aside the vegetables, pour in the whisked eggs and scramble them. (If your pan will not accommodate, simple scramble the eggs in a separate pan, and then add them back into the pan with the vegetables.) Drain the noodles and add them to the pan, along with the sauce mixture and toss well with tongs to heat through and cook the noodles, about 5 - 10 minutes. Add in the steamed broccoli and carrot and toss to combine. Pour the Pad Thai out onto a large platter and garnish with the scallions, bean sprouts and peanuts and adorn with the cilantro. Serve immediately.


My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.